A Filip Kostic double helped Eintracht Frankfurt win 3-2 at Barcelona on Thursday and continue their astonishing run in the Europa League to the semi-finals.
A reported 30,000 fans travelled from Germany for the quarter-final second leg and they had an unforgettable experience in the Camp Nou as their heroes humbled once mighty Barca.
Kostic's penalty set the tone in just four minutes, after Eric Garcia fouled Jesper Lindstr?m, and a rocket from Rafael Borre doubled the lead before the break.
Barcelona rallied at the start of the second period but Kevin Trapp saved from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kostic drilled into the bottom corner to settle the tie 4-3 on aggregate in the 67th minute. Sergio Busquets netted to give Barcelona hope in injury-time but Luuk de Jong's penalty, with the last kick of the game, came too late to save them.
Frankfurt are midtable in the Bundesliga but will meet West Ham in the last four, which has the first legs on April 28, after the Londoners also won 3-0 away to Lyon following their own 1-1 first leg draw. Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen got the goals for David Moyes' side who are in their first Europen semi-final since 1976. There will be another Bundesliga representative in the semi-finals as RB Leipzig's progressed thanks to Christopher Nkunku's double at Atalanta.
Leipzig were held 1-1 at home last week but a controlled performance brought a deserved victory in Bergamo and a semi-final tie against either Rangers or Braga who are in extra-time after a 2-2 aggregate draw. Nkunku was the hero once more by tapping in from Konrad Laimer's cut back in the 19th minute and his late penalty, which he won himself from goalkeeper Juan Musso three minutes from time, took him to 30 goals for the season. "We’re working hard and want to try and win the trophy," Nkunku told Canal+.
Leipzig are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup next week as they continue their fine form under coach Domenico Tedesco, who has transformed their season since being appointed in December. "It’s a fantastic night, it’s not easy to win here," Tedesco told UEFA.com. "There were no secrets to win, we defended well and unlike the first leg we did well to get past their pressing."
